Joblessness in SA increases by 0.8%
South Africa's unemployment rate has risen ahead of the May 29 elections.
It's gone up by 0.8 of percentage point to 32.9 percent.
The Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the first quarter of this year shows the number of unemployed persons increased by 330,000 to 8.2 million.
"The number of people who were not economically active for reasons other than discouragement decreased by 214 000 to 13.1 million, while discouraged work-seekers decreased by 1,000 in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. This resulted in a net decrease of 215,000 in the not economically active population," says the Director of Labour Statistics at Stats SA, Dihlolelo Phoshoko.
"The above changes in employment and unemployment resulted in the official unemployment rate increasing by 0,8 of a percentage point from 32,1% in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 32,9% in the first quarter of 2024.
READ: Unemployment stats paint ‘distorted reality’ – labour expert
"The unemployment rate, according to the expanded definition, also increased by 0,8 of a percentage point to 41,9% in quarter one of 2024 compared to quarter four of 2023."
Phoshoko says the number of employed persons increased by 22,000 to 16.7 million during the same quarter.
"Formal sector employment increased by 56,000 in quarter one of 2024, while informal sector employment decreased by 100,000 over the same period.
"Provinces that recorded increases in employment were KwaZulu-Natal (35 000), Gauteng (26 000) and Northern Cape (4 000) when compared to the previous quarter Q4 of 2023 and quarter one of 2024. Those that recorded decreases in employment were Western Cape (17 000), followed by North West (13 000), Mpumalanga (8 000), Eastern Cape (4 000) and Limpopo (3 000), while Free State remained unchanged."
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